Scout Strategy Guide

First of all, i would like to thanks Tinyblktears (Also known as "Trainingday") for letting me use his template. I may have added something or otherwise changed it though.



After reading about the scout remake, i immediatly tried him out. What i found was a powerful ganker, anti-carry, support and carry (Atleast semi). I decided to make a guide on him, as the old scout guides now said little about the scout. This is my first guide, but i hope you'll find it useful.

The guide will focus on Scout's ganking and roaming abilities early game, and his carry/dps and support abilities later.

Skills: Learns Vanish, Electric Eye, Disarm, Marksman Shot.


Vanish: The scout slips into stealth mode for a brief time. Using the advantage of surprise, he is able to unleash a devastating flurry of attack when attacking from stealth.

Target: Self
Type: Toggle, Self-buff
Duration: Infinite, as long as you have mana.
Mana cost: 3mana per second at all levels
Cooldown: 24/18/12/6 seconds. (Cooldown applies whenever vanish is toggled off.)


Applies Vanish to self. Attacking a unit with Vanish active will toggle off Vanish and apply Flurry to self for 4 seconds.

Vanish effects
+25% movement speed
Stealth with 0.5 second fade time
Unitwalking

Flurry effects
+ 300 attack speed.
Expires after 1/2/3/4 attacks.

Notes: The scouts signature ability, this spell can be used for a number of things. Chasing, escaping, scouting, traveling, you name it. But the most important part about it is its attack speed increase. It allows you to get 4 attacks off in the span of a second, which, on top of the high damage, is bound to proc Disarm, and, if you have any, any "% On Hit" based orb effect. Int heroes will curse you for having this ability.

Electric Eye: The scout places an electric eye which provides sight in an area around the eye. Electric eyes may be detonated to silence enemies around it.


Target: Target position
Type: Gadget
Mana cost: 50mana at all levels
Cooldown: 30 seconds

Places an electric eye at target location. Can be placed without breaking Vanish's stealth.

The eye reveals invisible units and has an unlimited lifetime. If enemy units get within a 150 radius of the Eye, it will be revealed to them. You may have 2/3/4/5 Electric Eyes active at any one time.

Each Electric Eye has an ability that will allow you to destroy it, as well as an ability to detonate, silencing nearby enemies.

Notes: So far its just 5 free combined stealth detect and sight wards, but it gets better with the following subskill.

Detonate (Subskill): Detonates closest Electric Eye, Silencing nearby enemies.

Target: Closest Electric Eye
Type: Magical
Mana cost: Free at all levels
Radius: 450 units
Cooldown: 10 seconds

Causes the closest Electric Eye to use its detonate ability, silencing enemies in a 450 radius around the eye for 3 seconds. Can be used without breaking Vanish's stealth. Detonate is on a shared cooldown with all Electric Eyes.

This ability is triggering the closest Electric Eye's detonate ability, and as such, does not count as a normal ability activation and can be used while disabled.

Notes: You might call this skill 5 free wards, but it is more than that. There is the very basic facts, such as it has unlimited lifetime and 5 can be placed, on top of some other things such as combined sight and stealth detect. But what makes this incredible, is its ability to silence. Not only do you know where the enemy is, you can also silence enemies in a very large aoe for 3 seconds! This can be done every 10 seconds, but only if the Eye(s) is already placed where you want them to blow up. If you dont have 1 placed, you can throw one down and detonate it almost instantly, so always keep 1 Eye un-planted. Also, dont forget eyes can be detonated while stealthed - And while disabled (They can also be placed without breaken Vanish, but not while under the effect of a disable). This ability is highly synergetic with Disarm, as you can make the an enemy almost harmless with a Disarm and Detonate combo.

Disarm: The Scout's mastery of close range combat allows him to occasionally disarm an opponent, then take advantage of the opening with a devastating attack.

Target: Enemy
Type: Passive, Physical
Cooldown: None

On Attack Impact
10/15/20/25% chance to disarm oponent for 3 seconds and deal +25/50/75/100% bonus damage with your attack.

Notes: This is what makes you THE anti-carry. For those that do not know, Disarm means they cant use normal melee or ranged attacks. This means that, with enough attack speed and a little luck, you can complete lock down that magebane/predator/blood hunter (You name it)'s melee attack, making them completely useless. Combine that with Detonate, and your target can only use items to counter you (Noes). And, if it isnt obvious by now, this + Vanish makes it almost guarenteed to Disarm your target. On top of that, it provides some VERY nice damage, that can topple any squishy hero. If you have 3-4 points in this skill, you can go toe to toe with the enemy carry (Or enemy above your level) and win!

Marksman Shot: The Scout uses his crossbow to perform a devastating attack ranged attack on a single target unit, damaging and slowing it.

Target: Enemy units/heroes
Type: Magic
Range: 1500/2000/2500 units
Mana cost: 125/175/250 mana
Cooldown: 0/40/30

After channel time, fires projectile at target that deals 250 plus 10/20/30% of target's maximum health in magic damage. Applies Wounded to target for 4 seconds. Vision must be maintained on the target during channel time, or the cast is cancelled.

Wounded effects
20/30/40% slow

Notes: A terrifying ultimate if you are on the other team. I will start with saying that this skill is best used as a finisher, and its not nearly as good as initiator. Its deals HEAVY damage, and scales tremedously well throughtout the game. And on top of that, it slows. How awesome is that? Anyway, this skill has team fight potential that is mostly unseen. I have killed many an low-health enemy that escaped from my teammates, out of reach for my teammates, but in range for my Shot.

It should be noted, that the skill deals magic damage, so a target with 30% health left will not neccesarly die from Marksman Shot. It should also be noted, that this spell synergises a lot with Electric Eye, since the eyes can help keep LOS on the target. If ganking, consider placing an eye at the targets presumed escape route to be sure your Shot hits.

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Core Analysis: This is where we analyze hero-specific stuff like stats/stat gain and movespeed.

SCOUT
Strength: 17 (+1.9)
Agility: 21 (+3.0)
Intellect: 16 (+1.4)
Damage: 45-59
Armor: 4.94
Move Speed: 315
Attack type: Melee
Attack Range: 128


The Scout has more or less average stats. His starting strength is quite low, but in the end, he doesnt need much health in the laning phase as he has vanish. His Strength Gain is (Unfotunately) also low, but enough to gank with. Do watch out when fighting more than 1 enemy, though. The Scout is relatively squishy, so dont charge mindlessly into the enemy team.

His intellect is low, both starting and gain. Thankfully, the scout does not need much mana. Do not over use your stealth and dont take potshots with your ult, and you will be fine. The only problem might be if you get too many mana requiring items.

His starting agility is decent. It gives him okay starting armor and damage, and his gain is also good. His agility gain is actualy realy good, giving him good attack speed (Which works realy well with Disarm), damage (Disarm again), and armor (Just good). He has enough agility gain to succesfully be the teams main carry if he has to, though it is not where he excels.

The Scouts stats are, as said, medicore, but he has other things going for him. He has one of the highest movement speed in the game, which is a definite advantage and works well with his skillset. His damage is pretty high, and so is his armor, which makes him more durable in early game than the average agility hero.

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Skill build
1: Vanish/Electric Eye
2: Electric Eye/Vanish
3: Vanish
4: Disarm
5: Vanish
6: Marksman Shot
7: Vanish (Maxed out)
8: Disarm
9: Disarm
10: Disarm (Maxed out)
11: Marksman Shot
12: Electric Eye
13: Electric Eye
14: Electric Eye (Maxed out)
15: Stats
16: Marksman Shot (Maxed out)
17-25: Stats

Explanation: This is a very basic, but powerful skill build. The first thing that might come into you mind is "Why dont you get more Electric Eyes earlier?". Ill tell you why. You need points in vanish to lane. You need points in both Vanish AND disarm to gank in mid game. If you dont gank, you will fall weak in later team fights, and thats not good. And, that single point in Electric Eye is enough to scout 1 rune location (And then you can with logic conclude where the rune is, even if it doesnt spawn where the eye is), and then you get a lovely and cheap 3 second silence, that realy ups your lane and team fight presence.

You can choose to take the level in Electric eye at level one, and vanish the next or opposite. If fighting a strong lane or fearing early ganks, take vanish first. If your mid is weak or you are fighting a weak lane, take Eye first and plant 1 at your nearest rune spot.

Vanish is taken at (Almost, look above) every opppertunity, except when your ultimate is avaible. Vanish is your bread and butter skill, helping with laning, ganking, traveling and escaping, and as such cannot be delayed. You can use it to harass with if the enemy lane is weak.

Your ultimate is also taken whenever avaible, as it remains powerful throughtout the game, and is very much needed when you gank. It also doesnt cost much mana compared to what you use (Again, i urge you to not overuse your vanish.)

As a final note on the skill build, i urge you: Do not fall into the dark pit that is skipping eyes. They are a too powerful team gadget, that will win you many a team fight and runes to be overlooked, and your teammates wont appear sane to you if you skip them.

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Item build: Simple. The Scout is a good ganker, so this skill build will augment that. But he is also somewhat squishy and weak in team fights, so this item build will also try to cover that. I will finish by saying, that Scout can do well with many skillbuilds. Nevertheless, i will still recommend this, as i have found it very effective.

(If you want more info on what each item does, you can go to http://www.heroesofnewerth.com/items.php)

Starting Items

Pretenders crown - Chrushing Claws - Minor Totem - Health Potion - Runes of the Blight

These starting items will leave you with 25 gold. They provide very good stat gains (3int, 3agility and 6str) and the claws and crown can later be made into a bracer. Use the Runes for when you have taken small amounts of damage to keep you topped, and pop the pot if you have taken a hefty chunk of damage. Not much else to say.

Early Game

Fortified Bracelet- Enhanced Marchers


This is your absolute MUST HAVE's for early game. In fact, you should already be building your mid game items by now.

Enhanced bracers are taken for a cheap stat upgrade. Enhanced marchers are taken over Steam boots because that you dont need much movement speed when you have Vanish, Because they give you attack speed (Which works realy well with Disarm), and because of the damage they give. It might not be much, but it adds alot of damage to your Flurry attacks in early game.

You can choose to grab a bottle now if you want. It works well with Scouts roaming, ganking and rune-revealing gameplay, but its far from neccersary. I personally never use it as i feel other heroes need it more, but i reckon it could be useful in some team lineups.

Mid Game
OR
Brutalizer - Abyssal skull OR Whispering Helm

Again, this is the absolute minimum for Mid Game, and you should already be building your late game items.

Scout realy shines in early Mid Game, where his ganking abilities are unchallenged. Brutalizer combined with Vanish is an almost guarenteed 1.4 stun every 6 seconds, and it also gives some well needed strength. Brutalizer ups your presence in team fights, and makes your enemies curse you when you gank. You take a lifesteal item because its your best way of retrieving health. You will find that 80% of the time, you will retreat for health, and not for mana. A lifesteal item realy adds to your endurance.

Normally you will want to get Abyssal Skull, as it helps you attain greater presence in team fights, gives your team good support, and also upping your own damage and overall power quite a bit (Im addition to, at higher levels, pushing you mana regen over what you use with Vanish). However, Whispering Helm is cheaper, and its damage gain is higher at earlir levels. Therefore, you might choose the helm over skull sometimes, where you have a bad early game and need to do a quick comeback to still be able to gank. If you do that, remember that you can disassemble the Helm later and makes it into a skull if you want to.

Also, you want the brutalizer first if you had a good early game, or are fighting squishy, gankable heroes. You want the lifesteal first if you had a bad early game, or are fighting more sturdy heroes.

A little note: You might be wondering why i havent mentioned Elder Parasite. That is because, even though it helps out with ganking (Note-note: You dont realy need more help here ) and permadisarming, it is realy counterproductive in team fights. You are already killed fast if focused, you dont want to help your enemy with that, do you? And having 2 non-stacking lifesteal items just isnt an option, for obvious reasons.

Late Game

Wingbow - Geometer's Bane

This is where the options for the Scout's potential builds realy start to branch out, with many items to choose from.

I have found Wingbow and Geometer's Bane realy good items on Scout, though. Wingbow gives you realy good sustained attack speed (For Disarm), and addition to the Dodge effect, both which ups your abilities in team fights (and other fights).

Geometers Bane is just and awesome item on scout, both for ganks/small fights and team fights. Attack speed, movement speed, stats and an AMAZING activatable ability. The 2 spawned illusions not only increase your DPS by 66%, they can also proc Disarm, giving you an almost GUARENTEED perma disarm on your target. And if that wasnt enough, they also inherit the stun chance from Brutalizer. Both the stun and Disarm is on seperate cooldowns (Permastun, in other words)! You can split the illusions up and disarm/stun multiple enemies. Or you can gank with it. Summed up, awesome for ganking, awesome for team fights.

Luxury items

Runed Axe - Daemonic Breastplate - Shrunken Head - Savage Mace

Luxury items are extra items you dont realy need, but will help you a lot if the game drags out long enough to achieve one.

Runed axe lets you kill creep waves with ease, making you a dangerous pusher (And also ensures you will always have enough mana for Vanish). Daemonic Breastplate is survivability, attack speed, and team fight presence. Shrunken head is the item that lets you DPS in team fights, without fearing barrages of disables. Savage mace is just a DPS item that scales realy well with your attack speed. I suggest Shrunken Head in the average match, but judge according to situation.
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This guide is from Heroes of Newerth Forum